BAAF Chapter 72

The wind began to rise, causing plum blossoms to rustle and fall through the forest.

 

Some scattered into the crystal-clear pool, floating with the ripples on the water’s surface, drifting around the loosened waistband.

 

Shen Liuxiang faced the pool wall, arms resting on the shore, face deeply buried in the crook of his arm, in a posture identical to before, except his other hand was no longer moving in the water but tightly gripping the edge.

 

His fingertips turned white from the force, yet still trembled uncontrollably.

 

“I can’t… no… stop doing that… mmm.”

 

Shen Liuxiang suddenly bit his lip, his phoenix eyes tightly closed, long black eyelashes fluttering anxiously, several strands of dark hair sliding from behind his ear, brushing against his slightly sweaty cheeks.

 

The person encircling him from behind drew closer, one hand supporting his waist, raising his deep voice: “The Love Flower Gu is one of the world’s three greatest Gu poisons, no small matter. Master should set aside distracting thoughts and focus, relax your body, and leave the rest to me.”

 

When Shen Liuxiang spoke, it was only to let out a low moan, unable to speak properly, only weakly shaking his head.

 

A hand extended into the water attempting to stop it, but was caught, and at the same time Zhou Xuanlan’s voice became hoarse, mixing with the night, revealing a somewhat dangerous intent.

 

“Master, don’t move carelessly.”

 

Shen Liuxiang’s back pressed against the firm chest, and hearing these words, he froze momentarily. After feeling the alarming heat below, he instantly widened his eyes, but stopped struggling.

 

The person in his arms suddenly became docile, and the darkness in Zhou Xuanlan’s eyes intensified as his gaze fell on him, scanning inch by inch.

 

Fine, soft hair scattered messily, Shen Liuxiang lowered his head, exposing the fragile, thin nape of his neck. Half of the faint red pattern peeked out from his collar, becoming more gorgeously colored with Zhou Xuanlan’s movements.

 

Like an eerie blood pattern, blooming on skin as white as jade.

 

Shen Liuxiang suddenly let out a stifled groan, a hint of wet redness appearing in his phoenix eyes. He panted somewhat powerlessly, unable to stand steadily in the water; if his waist hadn’t been supported, he would have sunk to the bottom in the next moment.

 

Beads of sweat emerged on the back of his neck, and a plum blossom fell precisely there.

 

Red plum on jade skin, truly a beautiful sight.

 

Zhou Xuanlan lowered his head slightly, his thin lips separated from the fragrant petals by a layer, silently placing a kiss.

 

At this moment, Shen Liuxiang’s mind was in chaos, completely empty, his awareness of the outside world reduced to the extreme. His dulled consciousness only registered that Zhou Xuanlan helped him put on his undergarments, retied his belt, and carried him out of the water back to the room.

 

After using a minor spell to dry the soaking wet Shen Liuxiang, Zhou Xuanlan placed him on the bed, saw his phoenix eyes blink, then picked up a brocade quilt and covered his face, the entire person curling up into a ball under the blanket.

 

Zhou Xuanlan laughed softly.

 

Shen Liuxiang, hidden in the dark bedding, blushed to his ears at the sound, wishing he could find a crack in the bed to disappear into.

 

A moment later, a hoarse voice sounded in the room: “This disciple will leave for a while.”

 

The head under the quilt moved slightly: “Mm-hmm.”

 

Zhou Xuanlan’s eyes darkened slightly as he turned and quickly left the room, the sound of the door closing following.

 

The room grew somewhat quiet, disheveled dark hair spread across the pillow as Shen Liuxiang cautiously peeked out his head, looking through the gauze curtains toward the outside of the bed, confirming Zhou Xuanlan was gone.

 

He raised his hand, covering his still-flushed cheeks, and began rolling back and forth on the soft bed.

 

Ahhhhhhhhh—

 

Life’s first time was truly mortally exciting, and what’s more terrifying is…

 

Shen Liuxiang’s face reddened; although embarrassing to admit, he had indeed been pleasured to the point that at the moment of release, his throat had almost produced a sob.

 

An autumn breeze swept across Shen Liuxiang’s heart.

 

It’s over, the dignity of being a master cultivated over many years destroyed in an instant; how could he face Zhou Xuanlan from now on?

 

The celestial robe! It’s the celestial robe! Xu Xingchen’s things are all unreliable!

 

He clearly hadn’t been willing, so how could the celestial robe make him appear so eager? Even his sash had loosened on its own!

 

Zhou Xuanlan wouldn’t think… that he was actually this wanton, would he?!

 

Snow in June.

 

Shen Liuxiang silently felt wronged.

 

He rubbed his disheveled hair, one hand pulling his robe down over his shoulder, turning his head to look at the culprit, fingers touching the back of his neck.

 

Though the burning sensation had disappeared, the child Gu was still alive; another encounter would be troublesome.

 

Shen Liuxiang frowned. While pondering, his storage pouch began to shake. He took out a jade slip that flashed with a blue-green light, transmitting a low, steady voice.

 

Di Yunyu[mfn]帝 (Di): Emperor or sovereign.

云 (Yun): Cloud.

宇 (Yu): Universe, space, or house. Together, “Di Yunyu” could be interpreted as “Emperor of the Cloud Universe” or “Sovereign of the Cloud Realm[/mfn]: “I’ve taken the half-demons from the city.”

 

Shen Liuxiang paused, then said: “Good.”

 

Di Yunyu’s true body was in the Imperial Palace; only a strand of his divine consciousness had come to Qilin City, similar to the divine consciousness attached to Shen Liuxiang’s jade pendant.

 

“Did Imperial Father foresee this through divination, knowing what would happen in the city?”

 

“I heard Xu Xingchen’s account of Qilin City and made some guesses. I didn’t peek at heaven’s secrets, otherwise,” Di Yunyu paused momentarily, then asked: “Are you alright?”

 

Shen Liuxiang withdrew the hand massaging his neck: “I’m fine.”

 

He asked: “What did Imperial Father say to make those people willing to leave with you?”

 

For them, betraying Wenren Qin was absolutely impossible, the obsession in their hearts difficult to dissolve. Even for the Emperor, it would be extremely difficult to make these people abandon their revenge and follow him.

 

Di Yunyu: “It was Wenren Qin.”

 

At the moment the formation shattered, Wenren Qin knew he had lost. The victor becomes king, the defeated becomes the outlaw. He didn’t struggle too much, and after Di Yunyu appeared, he unhesitatingly ordered his subordinates to follow the Emperor’s commands.

 

Following him would only lead to a dead end.

 

The Emperor has mercy for all beings. Since he was willing to intervene, perhaps something could be changed.

 

Wenren Qin was melancholic but also showed some relief, “The things I cannot see, perhaps someday, you can see them for me.”

 

Shen Liuxiang’s expression was unpredictable, Xiao Qi’s appearance flashed before his eyes, but when he thought of the nearly successful Love Flower Gu, it was like being doused with cold water, a chill running through his entire body.

 

Di Yunyu: “I’m only responsible for the half-demons in the city. The rest, as Zhou Xuanlan wishes, I’ll leave to him.”

 

Shen Liuxiang: “?”

 

Di Yunyu: “Wenren Qin has reached a dead end, and Qilin City is about to change hands. Don’t you think Zhou Xuanlan will take this opportunity to claim all the territories of the Seventh Demon King as his own?”

 

Shen Liuxiang frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, and understood.

 

Wenren Qin’s actions were known throughout the three realms. Apart from the mixed breeds, no one could tolerate him. The demons of Qilin City also hated him to the bone and would never support him as king. But the city could not be without a master for a day, or it would certainly be divided and occupied by surrounding demon kings. Supporting a new demon king for protection was urgent.

 

And the Ninth Demon King was the absolute candidate.

 

Not to mention anything else, the moment Zhou Xuanlan broke through the Black Flame Barrier, the terrifying pressure he emitted shocked everyone.

 

Demons admire strength, naturally, countless demons would switch sides and surrender.

 

“Wenren Qin is in his hands. How to deal with him is up to you,” Di Yunyu was silent for a moment, then said, “Return to the Imperial Palace. Bringing Zhou Xuanlan along would be fine too.”

 

Shen Liuxiang felt these words were somewhat subtle. Just as he was about to ask if Xu Xingchen had said something, the jade slip darkened and fell into his hand.

 

Shen Liuxiang put the jade slip back into his storage pouch, having rested more or less adequately, lifted the gauze curtain and got off the bed.

 

Opening the door, he saw a woman in plain clothes, extremely beautiful, but with coldness in her eyes and brows, her red lips curled with years of accumulated indifference, standing in the corridor like a flower full of poisonous thorns.

 

“I have a way to solve the child Gu inside you.”

 

Shen Liuxiang was startled. Just as he was about to ask who this woman was, she smiled lightly: “The person who planted the Gu in you, An Qin.”

 

Shen Liuxiang’s eyes narrowed slightly. After waking up from his severe injuries, he was already in the medicinal pool and had no memory of being poisoned with Gu. “You wouldn’t suddenly change your mind to help me. What are your conditions?”

 

An Qin fell into a long silence, then after a while said: “Spare his life.”

 

After saying that, she continued: “Once the Ninth Demon King conquers Qilin City, he certainly won’t tolerate the former Demon King living in this world. But I know you can persuade him. I can guarantee that in the future, Wenren Qin will never appear before the world again. Also,”

 

An Qin, who had been tough all her life, softened her tone a bit at this moment: “There are countless people in the outside world who want Wenren Qin dead. I will make these people believe he is dead, and won’t cause any trouble for the Ninth Demon King.”

 

Shen Liuxiang stared at the woman in front of him: “Do you regret it?”

 

He remembered that Xiao Qi once said he didn’t know why his mother didn’t like him anymore. The blood marks from fingernail scratches on his face were left by his mother, the hand marks were left by his mother, and “little monster” was what his mother called him.

 

An Qin said coldly: “What’s done is done, what is there to regret? Because of him, Wenren Du was infected with the Love Flower Gu and was scared enough to find other women. He could even break free from the control of the child Gu. If he isn’t a monster, who is?”

 

Shen Liuxiang narrowed his eyes slightly. An Qin continued: “I’m not here to beg you, just to make a deal.”

 

“The Love Flower Gu, the child Gu only reacts to the mother Gu and can only be soothed by the mother Gu. But now that the mother Gu is dead, the child Gu inside you has lost its target and will become more restless, each time more fierce than the last.”

 

Shen Liuxiang was shocked. Even more powerful than before!

 

An Qin looked at him: “After the mother Gu dies, there is also one advantage: the child Gu can be soothed without the mother Gu.”

 

Shen Liuxiang: “How do you soothe it?”

 

An Qin: “By making love with someone. As the child Gu grows stronger, it will require this day and night, otherwise the fire of desire cannot be quenched, and there’s only a path to death.”

 

Shen Liuxiang: “…”

 

Despair was written on his face, but fortunately An Qin continued: “However, today I discovered there exists another method in this world.”

 

Shen Liuxiang: “Speak.”

 

An Qin: “If that’s the case, then you agree.”

 

Shen Liuxiang: “I’ll do my best.”

 

An Qin breathed a sigh of relief, slowly uttering two words: “Dragon blood.”

 

Shen Liuxiang’s expression changed, his gaze inscrutable: “How did you know?” The news that Zhou Xuanlan’s true form was a dragon had not spread; most people in the demon world didn’t know.

 

An Qin: “Today outside the city, I saw the Ninth Demon King break off one of his dragon horns to forcibly break the formation…”

 

“What did you say?!”

 

Shen Liuxiang widened his eyes, the night wind blowing coldness through his fingers, “Dragon horn…”

 

An Qin nodded: “How difficult ancient formations are to break. Wenren Qin simply didn’t calculate that his true form was a dragon, and even less expected that he could go to such lengths. That’s why he lost.”

 

She looked at Shen Liuxiang: “Since he doesn’t even care about his dragon horn for your sake, asking him for some dragon blood shouldn’t be difficult. However, there’s one point: I don’t recommend drinking it. It’s too slow to take effect and too extravagant and wasteful. Drinking a bowl of dragon blood would only make the child Gu feel a slight threat.”

 

An Qin said expressionlessly: “The child Gu hides under the love flower. The closer the dragon blood, the better. Dragon blood suppresses all evil; it will be so frightened it won’t dare to move. After several times, the child Gu will self-destruct.”

 

Shen Liuxiang’s eyelashes trembled slightly. He remained speechless for a moment, only coming back to his senses after An Qin left with a “now it’s up to you.”

 

He returned to his room, and soon after, Zhou Xuanlan appeared at the door.

 

Zhou Xuanlan had changed his clothes, and noticing Shen Liuxiang seemed to be in a daze, called out “Master,” his voice still somewhat hoarse.

 

Shen Liuxiang walked over, wordlessly reaching out his hand, touching the spot on his temple that had bled inexplicably before.

 

Zhou Xuanlan was startled, frowning as he glanced around: “Did someone come here?”

 

Shen Liuxiang: “An Qin, Wenren Qin’s mother.”

 

Zhou Xuanlan’s expression instantly changed, a hint of anger appearing between his brows. “A Miao woman. It was she who planted the Gu in Master. I thought she had fled, didn’t expect she’d dare to come. I’ll go capture her.”

 

Shen Liuxiang grabbed his sleeve: “No need.”

 

After saying that, he stared at the temple and asked: “Does it hurt a lot?”

 

The anger on Zhou Xuanlan’s face dispersed, his thin lips curling into a satisfied smile. He was about to say it didn’t hurt when he suddenly remembered something, and his words took a turn.

 

“It hurts—”

 

Zhou Xuanlan lowered his head slightly, his slender fingers suggestively pointing at his temple, “I need Master…”

 

To pat it.

 

But somehow, Zhou Xuanlan couldn’t say these three words, so his fingertips pointed at his temple again, hoping Master would understand his meaning.

 

Shen Liuxiang was stunned, then laughed after a moment: “Why are you like a little child?”

 

Zhou Xuanlan looked confused, about to raise his head to ask, when a gentle breath fell on his temple, followed by soft lips lightly touching it, unexpectedly tickling his heart.

 

Zhou Xuanlan froze, standing rigidly in place.

 

Meanwhile, after the kiss, Shen Liuxiang’s earlobes turned slightly red: “Now it doesn’t hurt anymore, right?”

 

Why was he suddenly acting coquettish?

 

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T/N: picking this up~